submissions
| Thom Yorke – The Eraser Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I know Thom Yorke (and all the members of Radiohead, for that matter) is a Smiths fan, evidenced by this Radiohead cover of "Headmaster Ritual" from a few years back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtmS2ePSSdU
and in this regard, when listening to the lyrics of "The Eraser," I can't help but be reminded of another Smiths-related song, Morrissey's "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get." |
submissions
| Girls – Carolina Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Listening to this while heading North on the 101 during the late-day magic hour, with the sunroof open and absolutely no idea when you're going to stop driving, is heaven. |
submissions
| Sun Kil Moon – Sam Wong Hotel Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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When I first heard the chorus--"Oh, marina / Pastel hues / Which one tomorrow / Of your many moons?"--it knocked me out. The way that the music rises alongside Kozelek's question, reiterated in the second chorus ("Oh harp player / On Grant Avenue / Which one tomorrow / of your haunting tunes?"), is one of his most affecting moments so far.
Like Proust, he recognizes that most, if not all memories are involuntarily recollected. So the marina and the harp player, similar in their effect to Proust's madeleine, evoke for Kozelek--and the connection between these signifiers and that which they signify is invariably inexplicable, as the process completely transcends conscious understanding--memories of his past that would otherwise not be at the forefront of his mind.
His discussion of these objects is posed in question form because the memories they might present are entirely beyond his choosing--he asks because he's really just a passive observer in his own mind (as we all are). Kozelek is drifting through his day, taking his morning and late evening walks; he passes by the marina, or hears the harp player, when, suddenly and without any input on his part, "Katherine drifts again / Into [his] mind..."
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submissions
| My Morning Jacket – Phone Went West Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Very astute analysis, electric__warrior. I agree with your idea that the narrator of the song is considering going--trying to work up the courage, really--to knock on his ex's front door. The reason why the repetition of "there'll be a knock on your front door" is so powerful, in my view, is because it gives the impression that he's not fully resolved to act--he's trying to convince himself that the event is inevitable, even though it will of course only occur if he seizes the day and acts. And, as you also pointed out, it is left completely ambiguous whether or not the knock on the front door actually ever happens (or ever will happen, for that matter). Makes my neck tingle just to think about it, as I know that I certainly lack the courage to do what the narrator is pondering. So I'll just sit in the bar and dream about what could have been. |
submissions
| Harry Nilsson – All I Think About Is You Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Truly one of the hidden gems in all of popular music. The atmosphere of the song, not to mention Nilsson's wistful singing and lyrics, is simply transporting--to another era, to the purest feelings of longing and nostalgia, to some place beyond time or rational understanding. Absolutely essential. |
submissions
| Red House Painters – I Feel The Rain Fall Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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Very true, sortilegus. And I would submit that it is impossible to listen to this song without smiling. "this year, oh what a year / i layed around / just feeling down" gets me every time. |
submissions
| The Wrens – 13 Months in 6 Minutes Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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"we started secret plans... forward 7 months: I've only seen you once."
That transition, from nostalgic recollection to frank description, hits me in the gut every time. If there is a thesis statement for the album, this is it. |
submissions
| The Walkmen – Lisbon Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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This song evokes the lazy transition from summer into autumn, when the optimism from the start of the year has been dampened, and you look back wistfully, thinking about what could have been, all while reflecting on the passage of time and the transitions between different stages of life. |
submissions
| Girls – Heartbreaker Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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"There's a voice in the back of my head that says you're always going to be alone / Go turn the tv on and turn off the telephone."
It's a line like this that reminds me why I have developed such a deep appreciation for what Owens and company are doing musically. The truly amazing thing about them, really, is that there are obvious influences (at least to me)--The Beach Boys, Morrissey, Harry Nilsson, to submit a few--but there is something about Christopher's voice, his sincerity, that is completely singular. They have expressed, in this song and others, ideas that make the back of my neck tingle with recognition. Keep up the good work guys. |
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